Kelly Clarkson Apologizes to Clive Davis

Even though her CD has dropped out of the Top 10, Kelly Clarkson is staying in the news because of the apology she proffered to Clive Davis on her Web site (a step that Simon Cowell recently advised her to take in the press):

In a posting of her Web site, Clarkson writes, "A lot has been made in the press about my relationship with Clive. Much of this has been blown way out of proportion and taken out of context.

"Contrary to recent characterizations in the press, I'm well aware that Clive is one of the great record men of all time. He has been a key advisor and has been an important force in my success to date. He has also given me respect by releasing my new album when he was not obligated to do so.

"I really regret how this has turned out and I apologize to those whom I have done disservice. I would never intentionally hurt anyone."

KELLIE PICKLER LOVES SPEED

... As in driving fast, or so she told Newsweek in an interview they recently conducted with her. Kellie Pickler also told the 'zine that she'd love to fill the empty host chair on "The View." Read on:

You sound like you're outside.
I'm doing a show in Wisconsin, opening up for Reba [McEntire], so, yay! I'm lying on the bunk of my tour bus right now.

Do you ever drive the bus?
They won't let me for some reason. I don't know why.

Well, do you have a license?
Yeah! I'm a good driver. I wanted to be a NASCAR driver. I love driving fast.

What's the fastest you've ever driven?
I once got pulled over going 95 in a 35. Let me tell you, I cried my way out of that ticket. But it was real dangerous, I shouldn't have done that. It was early in the morning and I was driving to school. We had this weird tardy thing. If you're tardy three days to class, you'd get suspension.

You were great as a guest host on "The View." I think they should offer you one of the open seats.
Omigod. I'd so do it. I've got an opinion about everything. They film two shows in the same day. So I'd tour during the weekends.

Maybe Barbara Walters will be reading this.
I know! I've been waiting for them to call. Every time I've done the show, everyone tries to create all this animosity, and there's really none. They've all been really nice to me.

Except for Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
Actually, she's the nicest. Some people tend to forget it's called "The View," so everyone's got to have their own point of view. It's not called "The Facts."

Are you and Carrie Underwood friends?
We went to the "Idol" concert together. It was nice to have a girls' night out.

How was Sanjaya?
It was kind of weird. The music, the mix, was so loud I could hardly understand what anybody was singing. I think they were having some technical problems. Everybody sounded great, but Carrie and I both had a hard time listening.

Have you seen "Hey, Paula?"
What's that?

Paula Abdul's reality show.
She has a reality show?! I don't watch TV ever. If I do watch TV, it's either Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. Have you seen "Planet Earth"? It's amazing. It's up close and personal with different things on the earth, like animals, plants and trees. Stuff we don't know that's out there.
Sounds like school.
It does. But it's not.

Do you know Kelly Clarkson?
No. I haven't met her. She was at CMA's because she sang a duet with Reba, but I didn't get to meet her there. Everybody was rushing all over the place. I hope to meet her soon. Every time we're at the same place, it's like we're dodging each other. I was at the NASCAR race a few months ago, and she was performing the day after. Each time, we're in the same area but we never meet.

Have you heard the new album?
I haven't heard it, no.

You should get it.
Yeah. I will if I ever get to the store. I live on the bus.

Don't you have iTunes?
Yeah, but I'm so stupid I don't know how to do it. I'm an electronic illiterate.

So you don't have an iPod?
I do. But there are no songs on it anymore. My friend downloaded one of my CDs, "Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits," but I accidentally deleted them all. I bought one of those new iPhones, but I don't know how to work it.

How did you meet your boyfriend?
Jordin? I'm, like, which one?

Ooh. You have more than one?
Jordin [Tootoo, a NHL player for the Nashville Predators] and I are actually neighbors. It's really funny. I didn't know anything about hockey. He's never even heard of "American Idol." This lady that works at the complex I live in says there's a guy named Jordin who wants to meet you. I'm like, "Ok, I guess." He leaves her two tickets for a game to give me. I'm like, "Lisa, you're going with me." I don't know what the guy looks like. I've never been to a hockey game. All I know is that his name is Jordin Tootoo. So I go to the game, every time a new player comes on ice, I'm looking for player 22. All of a sudden, this guy comes out on the ice, rips his clothes off, throws the guy on the ice, punches the crap out of the guy. I'm like, this hockey game is turning into a boxing match! Lisa is like, "That's Jordin." I'm like, I have to go out with this monster? Afterward, we went to dinner. There were knots on his forehead, his knuckles were all bloody. Great first impression. But he kicked the dude's butt. So at least I feel protected. One thing led to another and now we're a little item, I guess you could say.

How long have you been dating?
Since January. But we've never had an official boyfriend-girlfriend day. It just kind of blossomed. I don't know what day we committed to each other.

KELLY CLARKSON, NIGHT WRITER

According to Star Pulse, Kelly Clarkson struggles with insomnia - because her songs keep her awake at night. The singer admits many of her lyrics and hits come to her as she's trying to get to sleep and has to write them down or record them on the spot.

She says, "The moment a song comes to me, I have to get it out. That's why I have a hard time sleeping, because a lot of those times are at night."

KATHARINE McPHEE RAW

Watch video of Katharine McPhee's photo shoot for Vegas magazine at Raw Vegas. The Season 5 "Idol" runner-up dishes on how she fell in love with her "Vegas" show-stopper, showgirl cover look, and offers viewers a tasty treat -- a few bars of one of her favorite tracks.

PETER NOONE: PREFERS MAGGOTS TO IDOL

Well, it's a sure bet that Peter Noone won't be invited back to mentor on "American Idol." According to Contact Music, the lead singer of the '60s group Herman's Hermits, who mentored the guys during British Invasion week during Season 6, now admits he hates the idea of hopefuls appearing on such a big show before they've made it. Noone says, "If I were a young performer today, I'd take the bowl of maggots if people said, 'Do you want to be a contestant on American Idol or eat a bowl of maggots?' I'd say give me the bowl because I can get through that quick. I think it's probably much better to play in bars and then play the next-best bar than start on such a huge stage. If people are going to hate you, they may as well hate you in a small room."

PRODUCER NIGEL LYTHGOE: WE MADE MISTAKES

EW reports that at the Television Critics Association summer press tour,
"American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe said that last season "Idol" suffered by focusing more on famous mentors than on contestants -- and says the show can learn from "So You Think You Can Dance."

Lythgoe, the executive producer of both shows who also serves as a sharp-tongued judge on "Dance," said we should all expect some changes on "Idol" next season. "We realized we made mistakes on Idol last season," he said. "We were so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show. We didn't know them as much as the Kellie Picklers of last season."

Lythgoe is referring to the marked difference in the ways the two programs showcase their contestants: In recent seasons, "Idol" has tended to shun details about its singers to instead focus on the big-name stars who come to the show to perform and work with the contestants, especially in later episodes. "Dance," however, spends quite a bit of its airtime featuring the back-stories of its dancers and their struggles to get on the show.

"We're all attached to them a little more," Lythgoe said about Dance's focus on its contestants' lives. "I think that's affected us all a little bit more. There are little emotional hooks that come out." As for an "Idol" tune-up plan for season 7, Lythgoe revealed the production team is always looking to "tinker with the program," adding that ultimately he'd like to see the "Idol" contestants be as strong as his prized top 10 on "So You Think You Can Dance."

And what of Sanjaya? Of course, the faux-hawked menace snuck his way into the discussion. Speaking about the top 10 dancers seated behind him on stage, Lythgoe said: "There isn't a Sanjaya here, although I do think Sanjaya helped the last season of 'Idol.' I think there's enough talent with enough great stories to warrant the fact that we are basing it on their talent. No one needs to alter their hair on this program."

PERKS OF THE PRESS

A firsthand experience by a journalist for the Hanford Sentinel covering the Idols Live Tour:

FRESNO -- Ben's been a security guard at the Save Mart Center for several years. He first got the job to help pay his way through school, he told me.

Ben and I got to be quite good friends Friday evening. I was at the Save Mart Center "on assignment" to cover the American Idol Live! concert, camera bag and notepad in hand, just like the good old days. But I was over an hour early, so had some time to kill. And that's where Ben came in.

We talked about our taste in music, and he told me some wild stories about out-of-control teenage girls at the Chris Brown concert the week before. As the minutes ticked by, vendors and other security staff trickled in as Ben and I chatted. A couple of EMTs walked by pushing an empty gurney. Probably for a passed-out fan, I thought.

I was sitting on the cold, stone floor, listening to what I thought was piped music. It sounded pretty good, and my feet were soon tapping away. Suddenly, the music stopped and I heard laughter coming through the sound system. Then a voice started singing "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas and again I heard a voice say "That was good, that was good."

It was at that moment that I realized it was Them! They were going through sound checks ... and they were just a stone's throw from me.
Suddenly Ben's walkie-talkie crackled: "We are go for doors, we are go for doors!" Fans of every age, shape and size started pouring in. A girl and her brother each carried homemade signs. Hers said "Blake rocks my world." Her brother's said simply "Blake, you rock."

Then it was time. Along with four other members of the media, I was escorted down into the bowels of the Save Mart Center, a bit like walking through an underground maze at an airport. When we reached our destination, we were greeted by the Idol tour PR person, who explained the procedure for taking photos. We had about 10 minutes, she said. First, Blake will be on stage, and then Jordin will join him, coming up on a lift in the middle of the platform ...

The rest frankly was a blur. Within minutes we were standing next to the barricade in front of the stage where we would take pictures, and I made small talk with one of the Save Mart Center's staff as we waited for our cue.

I looked up. A blond-haired guy in a staff uniform walked to the middle of the stage as the announcer welcomed everyone to the concert. He looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't quite place him. Then he pulled off his cap -- and his blond wig -- to reveal spiky brown hair and an impish grin. It was Blake Lewis. Before I had time to hoist my purse and camera bag over my shoulder, the center of the stage opened up, and there was Jordin.

The next 9.8 minutes went by at light speed. I was snapping photos, trying not to fall over the cameramen who were filming for the overhead screens. Before I knew it, I was an arm's length from Chris Richardson, Sanjaya, Gina and Melinda. I wasn't sure if they'd all been dieting, or if TV really does add 15 pounds, but they looked great! Getting swept up in the moment, I suddenly realized how much I missed the reason I got into journalism in the first place.

The fans were going wild. They were screaming and reaching out across the barricade toward the stage. I watched their faces; this was awesome! I looked over at the Idol PR person and smiled. "Thank you," I mouthed.

After three songs, we were motioned away from the stage, and I had to relinquish my camera to the PR person, for "safe-keeping," I was told. I made my way to my seat just a few rows back from the stage. It was L18, but I don't think my rear ever touched the chair. Everyone in the floor area was on their feet, camera cell phones snapping photos and video footage.

Within minutes, my ears were ringing from the loud music and the women screaming wildly behind me. I got caught up in the emotion: "Wuhoo!" I yelled as Sanjaya, dressed in a white jacket, gray T-shirt and red jeans, sang and moonwalked to Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." "Wuhoo!!"

In between songs, the guys joked and ribbed each other. They talked about their friendship, and about the first time they all met. Sanjaya and Chris Sligh remembered "the bald guy," Phil, who good-naturedly went along with the ribbing. They really seem like best friends, I thought to myself.

Then Blake took the stage again, seeming right at home behind the microphone. "Everyone take out your cell phones and wave them like this!" he said, moving his arm from side to side. I looked behind me and the auditorium was suddenly filled with hundreds of fireflies as cell phone screens danced in the dark. It was magic.

Blake took off his jacket, revealing an untucked blue shirt over gray pants. He wrapped one hand around the mic, and the sound of techno filled the air, his beat box rhythm mesmerizing us all with its intensity. The crowd went wild. Did it get any better than this?

The Idols' performances were a whirlwind, one after the other. They ran across the stage, shaking hands with fans, and then back to the middle, hugging each other and acting like they were having such a good time. As each one sang, the stage backdrop showed footage from their initial auditions. These fresh-faced hopefuls had been turned into polished performers, and I secretly wondered if that was a good thing.

After an hour and 15 minutes, it was time for an intermission. I finally sat down. L18, a red plush chair, was comfortable. I had come down from the euphoric adrenaline rush, and I was exhausted. My camera battery had long since died, and my phone's memory was full from the photos I had taken. I didn't relish the thought of battling the traffic when the concert was over, so I decided to go home.

Driving back to Hanford, my ears still ringing, I felt good. I wished I'd gotten to say good-bye to Ben, the security guard, but I was sure he was off somewhere doing the job he said "paid the bills."

What had I enjoyed most about the evening? Sanjaya strutting across the stage, LaKisha, Haley and Gina as dance-hall girls singing "Lady Marmalade," or Jordin singing her heart out in a duet with Chris Robinson? No, I thought to myself. It was being a journalist.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Kelly Clarkson: 'I Am Not a Bullshi**er'

Yes, that's what Kelly Clarkson says she told music mogul Clive Davis in her interview in the August issue of Blender magazine:

"[I told Davis] I don't know you very well, and I am not a bullshi**er. I get [that] you don't like the album. You're 80; you're not supposed to like my album.

"I literally got told to my face that it wouldn't sell more than 600,000 copies. And I got lied to. One reason I don't like working with people at the label is that they lie. ... If you're going with the flow and not fighting, that's settling. I can't take that. Life is just too short to be a pushover."

The singer, whose new CD, "My December," sold 291,000 copies in its first week of release, says she was offered $10 million from executives at her record labels RCA and Sony BMG to record new tracks, because they feared her own songwriting might not generate as many hits as her two previous releases.

But Clarkson declined because she insists her music isn't meant to appeal to the label bosses -- whom she brands as members of the older generation.

Of the 60 songs Clarkson wrote for "My December," she had to narrow the scope to the 13 that went together the best. "These songs fit together and tell a story. I've never had an album that is cohesive and tells a story from beginning to end, so this is a first time for me," she said.

And Clarkson acknowledges that the new album may be an artistic step in a new direction. "It's a different chapter in my life," she said. "And it's got a lot of ups and downs. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster of an album."

... Meanwhile, ContactMusic.com says that Simon Cowell has urged Clarkson to end her war of words with record boss Davis because he knows better than her.

Cowell feels the singer would be unwise to continue the feud and advises, "Kiss and make up, decide what's best, get on with it! Clive Davis, at 80, is better than 99 per cent of the people in the music business in their 20s, 30s and 40s. And he's not 80, he's less than 80. [Clarkson] is one of the best and she always will be, [but Clive] is the boss of the record company... It's his job to advise."

... And Kelly is also very direct about Davis in her interview with USA Weekend in its cover story that runs this weekend. Here is the content:

Kelly Clarkson hustles down her long driveway and opens the broken gate to her Spanish-style villa. She's on the phone, talking animatedly to a friend about wanting to see the newest "Pirates of the Caribbean." As she ushers you inside her impressive digs, the first thing you notice are piles of clothes strewn all over the dining room table.

After blockbuster success as America's first and most successful "American Idol," Clarkson, 25, is taking an unscheduled break. She talked to us in a revealing interview on the eve of the release of her controversial record, "My December."

For the first time since she skyrocketed to stardom in 2002, the Grammy-winning star is risking it all with a new album that some of the best in the business, namely RCA record chief Clive Davis, warned her not to make. Although she and producer Davis are on good terms publicly, that does not seem to be the case behind the scenes.

"I'm going to be real honest with you: I am not a fan," the singer says of the record mogul. "I do respect him, but I don't want to barbecue with him. We don't braid each other's hair. And, despite the rumors, he is nowhere near a father figure."

Clarkson's much-publicized decision to rebel against music's vaunted star-maker and record an album that he didn't like has proved dicey, at best. Many are asking if the pop rock queen has been dethroned after negative buzz and weak advance sales forced her to cancel her 36-city summer tour.

Clarkson is the first to admit she's having mixed results getting it all right. She is candid as she opens up for the very first time about both her fight with Davis and a meltdown she says she had last year when she learned her boyfriend was cheating on her.

Her tough time started with, what else, a breakup with a guy. "My standards were low," she says, "because I was lonely.

"I met this musician, not a famous musician -- he doesn't even deserve to be named -- and I thought he was totally into me," she continues. "And then you find out, oh God, that he had this whole other relationship on the side, and that he is only dating you to get into pictures and to become famous."

[A little hint on the ex's identity can possibly be found in the Blender article, which says she doesn't mince words when asked about her ex-boyfriend and former keyboardist for group Evanescence, David Hodges, who co-wrote and co-produced Clarkson's hit "Because of You":

"[He] got engaged the day we broke up. I didn't even really like the guy. I'm more mad at myself for being so blind. Why would I pick someone like him to date? What's wrong with me?"]

That breakup added to the stress of a grueling tour for her hit second album, "Breakaway," two bouts of pneumonia, and a rash of friends getting married and having babies, which unearthed a lot of old ideas about how she should be living her life. All of it sent her into a tailspin.

Clarkson eases into a brown leather sofa and throws her head back. "I didn't know what was wrong with me," she says. "I was like, 'I'm not happy. Maybe I'm a little depressed, and I don't want to say anything, because then people are going to say, 'Why are you unhappy?'

"Everything caught up with me in a bad way," she explains. "My body was wearing down, and my emotions were wearing down. I was trying to get over someone. I hadn't seen my friends and family for a while, and it was becoming a nuisance [to see them] because I was so busy. I was traveling, and then there was more added to the schedule. It just got chaotic. I was 24, and that is pretty young to be the boss of so much. And it caught up with me. I couldn't smile. I couldn't do anything. I broke down. I cried so much I couldn't speak. I was that tired. I was drained. I didn't want to act, didn't want to smile -- I didn't want to pretend. I just broke. ... It was the lowest point of my life and my career."

The singer went home to Texas for three months to regroup. She turned to friends and family members and talked often to her mother, who now lives in North Carolina. "It was a really hard time for her," says her mom, Jeanne Taylor, 55. "She would call me, and all she wanted to do was cry and talk. I tried to explain to her that this happens sometimes."

Reba McEntire, who had become a friend after Clarkson did a guest-spot on her TV sitcom, became another source of support. "I spent time with her," Clarkson says, "and saw that she takes time off and hangs with her family and takes mini-vacations. I learned that I'm not lazy if I do that."

During this dark period, Clarkson began to write the songs that would become her new album, "My December." "It was free therapy," she says with a smirk. In January, she delivered the album to Davis, who reportedly hated it and delayed its release, stirring a heated controversy about its fate.

But Clarkson asserts her confidence about the future. "I used to live paycheck to paycheck," she says, as she props her feet on a table and laughs. "Now I am set for life."

Still, even in the glare, Clarkson seems to have avoided the pitfalls of other famous 20-somethings. It's almost ironic that she lives so close, just 2 miles from Hollywood Boulevard, where Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton famously haunted the nights. You've never heard about her going to jail or getting into a car crash and fleeing the scene, or shaving her head.

"I'm not into the whole scene," says Clarkson, who isn't wearing makeup and has her hair pulled haphazardly into a tortoise-shell clip. "I almost pity them. Some of their parents are afraid to punish them because that is where their livelihood is. So the parents can't be parents, or they can be, but they are too scared."

Thinking for a moment, she shakes her head. "I work with my brother Jason, and he keeps me in line," she says. "My mom would be the first to let me know: 'Dude, what are you doing?'"

Clarkson grew up in Burleson, Texas, which she insists helped her navigate the 20s, when so many people are lost and searching for what makes them happy. "I went through my awkward junior high school age, I went to high school, I went to the prom without being in the spotlight," she says. "Many of the kids in the industry didn't have that. They have no basis for a normal life. They are in the fast lane, and they do not know how to cope with it."

Not that she's a saint. She admits that she has tried marijuana -- but only in a cookie. Ever since, she has been "oregano-free."

"It was in Amsterdam," she says. "It is legal there, and it is not legal here. I don't ever do anything illegal here. I have never smoked anything in my life. I've never tried any drugs. I wouldn't do anything that would cause holes in your brain or your nasal cavity. Call me Texan, but I don't think of marijuana like that. I don't understand people who drink too much. I think, 'Why do you drink so much? It just adds calories.' "

Calories have been an issue for Clarkson. After her appearance on "American Idol" in May, all the talk was about her weight. But in a tight gray T-shirt and black jeans, she looks like a normal, healthy young woman. Despite her recent admission that she was bulimic in high school, Clarkson says, "I have never been to a point where I have been so unhappy that I have said to myself: 'Oh God, you are fat!'

"I don't allow myself to go there. I know when I am unhappy with myself -- and then I am like, 'Wow, stop eating so many cookies [and her other favorites, cake and pumpkin pie] and get on the treadmill!'"

SIMON COWELL NOW JUDGING REAL DOGS

ContactMusic.com reports that Simon Cowell is judging a dog show for charity. Cowell will give his verdict on important categories such as "The Waggiest Tail" at the The Royal Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (RSPCA) fete in Brighton, southern England this Sunday.

It is the third year in a row he has attended the fete after his mother, who helps out at the local dog shelter, asked for his help. A source says, "Simon is devoted to his mother and when she asked him to help the open day attract more visitors, he did it originally to please her. But he has now become a patron of the shelter."

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Kelly Clarkson Cancels Summer Tour!

With but a brief explanation on her Web site, Kelly Clarkson has cancelled her 35-venue summer tour in support of her newest release, "My December," slated to drop on June 26. The home page of the singer's official site reads:

"I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to getting out there to perform for y'all. In the craziness of the music business, performing is what I look forward to doing the most, so it really is disappointing for me to have to tell you that I won't be coming out to tour this summer. The fact is that touring is just too much too soon.

But I promise you that we're going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better.

Thanks for all of your love and continued support."

— Kelly

Glenn Gamboa in Newsday writes that Clarkson was set to play amphitheaters this summer, as she did last year after her "Breakaway" album. However, Michael Rapino, CEO of LiveNation, said yesterday that the demand has not been as strong. "Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew," he said in a statement. "In the end, we are in the Kelly Clarkson business and for that reason we believe that this decision will only benefit her and her fans in the long run."

The tour cancellation follows Clarkson's firing of her manager Jeff Kwatinetz earlier this week in the midst of a rumored rumble with RCA Chief Clive Davis over her new album's commercial viability. Clarkson's "My December" album is currently slated for a June 26 release and she is still scheduled to appear at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium on July 7. Her single "Never Again" is currently No. 17 on the Billboard charts after peaking at No. 7.

And Hollywood Today says that in a statement released from Clarkson's camp, Gregg Perloff, CEO of concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment, said, "Kelly is a spectacular artist and an incredible performer who undoubtedly has what it takes to sustain a long and prosperous career. The day when she will play in sold-out arenas is, no doubt, coming, but for now her fans should look forward to seeing her in a more intimate concert environment. Kelly deserves a tremendous amount of praise for her courage in not only being a part of, but in supporting, this difficult decision."

NEW VIDEOS OF JORDIN, BLAKE AND TAYLOR

Taylor Hicks sang the National Anthem at the NBA finals last night. Hicks spent time before the game dribbling a basketball while players warmed up.

"I actually played a lot of basketball in high school," the 29-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native told The Canton Rep. "I was a better harmonica player. I was a little bit short for basketball and wasn't too short for the harmonica."

So, what's more pressure - the NBA Finals or "American Idol"? "That's interesting," said Hicks. " 'American Idol' is like the Super Bowl each week. There is a lot of pressure. It's very similar to that when you consider what's at stake for each team."

Watch video of Taylor Hicks singing the National Anthem at the NBA finals:


Watch video of Jordin Sparks on "The View":


Watch video of Blake Lewis on "The View":


Watch video of Jordin Sparks singing the National Anthem at the NBA finals:


Afterwards, Sparks she did a qna with the Toledo Blade:

On singing the national anthem, her first performance at a sporting event: "I got here and I just did it. I just go with what comes, do whatever I feel like at the moment."

On how Simon Cowell would have rated her national anthem performance: "There's always going to be that little, are they here, are they watching, did they hear? There's always going to be, 'I think they're there.' You always feel that pressure to do as good as you can and hope everybody that was out there, if they were a judge, then they would like it. You just try so hard. I don't know. I thought I did OK. I thought I did pretty good. But you never know what Simon's going to think."

On who she wants to win the NBA championship: "I'm very sad about the Suns. That's all I'm going to say."

How she felt when she heard her song, "This is My Now" on the radio for the first time: "I was at home for a couple days, and I was at a tanning salon with my mom. I was sitting there, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, they're playing it on the radio,' and I just started crying. I hadn't heard it yet. So I just sat there and thought, I can't believe this is really happening. It was one of those moments that I'll remember for the rest of my life."

On what her album will sound like: "No matter what song I sing, I always have this country-style flare. But I love pop, I love rock and roll, and I love country, I love everything. I just want great songs. When the tour is over I'm going to hit the recording studios very, very hard. It's supposed to be out before Thanksgiving. It's going to be so crazy."

On her life since winning "Idol": "The whole thing since I won Idol has been a whirlwind. I've been riding on adrenaline and no sleep, but being on shows I've been watching for the longest time has been so crazy, and getting opportunities like this is, I cannot express it anymore, I'm enjoying every moment of this."

IDOL DIGITAL RELEASES AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

Diehard Season 6 fans can now purchase a selection of compilations through iTunes. The "Greatest Hits" collections, a misnomer if there ever was one, goes for $7.99 and includes:

Blake Lewis - You Give Love a Bad Name 3:09
Gina Glocksen - Paint It Black 3:21
Melinda Doolittle - As Long As He Needs Me 2:59
Chris Sligh - She’s Not There 2:02
Sanjaya Malakar - Besame Mucho 3:42
LaKisha Jones - This Ain’t a Love Song 3:57
Chris Richardson - Smooth 4:05
Haley Scarnato - Turn the Beat Around 3:30
Stephanie Edwards - Love Hangover 2:43
Brandon Rogers - You Can’t Hurry Love 2:56
Phil Stacey - Blaze of Glory 4:48
Jordin Sparks - This Is My Now 3:50

Frankly, we'd love to get our hands on a studio version of Melinda singing "My Funny Valentine" and Brandon Rogers singing anything but "You Can't Hurry Love." Also, in spite of all the judge bitchin', the studio rendition of Sligh singing "Endless Love" is not to be missed. We're not too crazy about some of the other picks, either.

You can also download a "Collector’s Edition" for $29.97 that has all 76 Idol studio recordings from Season 6 except Jordin Sparks' "Living on a Prayer," which was available on americanidol.com during the season. All selections can also be purchased individually for 99 cents. Note: The studio versions do vary from the live versions. So if you LOVED the live version of a performance, you might not be getting what you were hoping for. We found this especially true for Blake Lewis songs that had beatboxing. The studio versions tended to be straighter releases with far less of Lewis' innovative touch, and therefore disappointing. We even thought Jordin's live version of "I Who Have Nothing" was better than the studio release. So you've been warned.

QNA WITH TAYLOR HICKS

The Elmira Star-Gazette recently interviewed Taylor Hicks via e-mail.

You're starting the second leg of your tour with us in Big Flats, N.Y., and you'll have visited 50 cities by Labor Day. How do you keep up?

I am most comfortable on the road, so being on tour is a good pace for me. The mornings I get to sleep in really help me keep up though.

You're playing everything from open air venues like ours to casinos, to county fairs to arenas. What size audience do you prefer, how are the audiences different (if they are) and what was your favorite stop on the first half of the tour?

As long as there is chemistry between a performer and the audience, I don't think the size matters. That chemistry is what drives the whole performance and is what I thrive on when I am on stage. My favorite stop? I guess I really enjoyed the venues with a lot of history like the Ryman in Nashville. [Editor's note: Ryman Auditorium opened in 1892.]

Aside from the obvious ability to play your own music and to perform an entire song, how will your live performances differ from the performances people got to see on "American Idol"?

I don't think they differ that much. I have an energetic set with some signature dance moves ... how can I deny the fans of those?

You're a seasoned performer already, having spent years playing clubs prior to your break with "AI." Do you still (or did you ever) get nervous before a show? If so, what do you do to prepare for a performance?

Of course I get nervous. but I don't really have a routine before each night. I just enjoy a little down time by myself.

On your MySpace page you described your inspiration, or maybe motivation, as "defining modern soul." Tell us more about that.

I think there is an underground movement for modern soul-like artists such as Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone. Taking the old sound of Motown and soul and putting more of a modern spin on them with samples and actual music that has the nostalgia of the old but with a new twist.

You also have a book coming out, "Heart Full of Soul." What can diehard Tay fans expect?

You can read about some "American Idol" secrets and my road thus far. I didn't get to where I am now easily, and I share a lot of the struggles I faced in this book.

You were able to put some of your original music on your new CD; this CD isn't your first, however, and you have the song "Soul Thing" on your prior CD, "Under The Radar." That is a much more acoustic version, at a slower tempo. Which version most closely represents the Taylor Hicks musical vision?

The show is very high energy so it is definitely the up-tempo version of "Soul Thing" when I am on stage.

You've described being on "American Idol" as "dancing with the devil." If you could change one thing about your whole "American Idol" experience, what would it be and why?

I don't think I would change anything about the experience. The whole thing provided an incredible platform for me, and I wouldn't be answering your questions today if it weren't for that show and everything that happened during the journey.

A new "American Idol" was crowned last month. What advice would you give Jordin Sparks as she embarks on her own year as the new Idol?

I was able to talk with Jordin after she won and give her my advice. She knows what I told her.

HEATHER COX: FROM HOLLYWOOD TO HOG DAY

The News & Observer reports on Heather Cox, an "American Idol" Season 5 semi-finalist.

It's Hillsborough, not Hollywood, but Heather Cox is still a bit nervous about singing at Hog Day on Saturday. "It's actually harder to sing in front of a small crowd than it is to sing in front of 40 million people," said the former "American Idol" contestant.

She'll be performing at the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough's Hog Day festival of all things porky.

Cox, from Jonesville in Yadkin County, made the top 24 on "Idol's" season five. She was one of four North Carolinians to do so that year. The other three -- Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Bucky Covington -- advanced further in the TV contest and now have successful albums out.

Cox, 23, is recording a pop-country album of her own. Otherwise, she is hanging around the homefront, spending time with her family. "There is not much to do," she said of Jonesville, population 1,464. "I think we have a few stoplights."

She can't believe it has been almost two years since she flew to Denver to audition for "Idol." "I was so nervous and thinking about backing out," said Cox, who has no formal vocal training.

She had spent a year practicing in secret after deciding to try out. "I would go out to the shed and sing in private," said Cox, a minister's daughter who grew up singing in church.

Her favorite judge on the show was Randy Jackson; Paula Abdul made weird comments about her eating habits, Cox said.

She also had a blast hanging out with the other contestants -- Rockingham native Covington would always jokingly try to buy teetotaling Cox a beer on flights to and from North Carolina.

"I still have Chris Daughtry's phone number in my cell phone," Cox said. "But he's so busy."

After a lazy start to the summer, Cox should be pretty busy herself in the coming months. She'll be singing at the Reality TV Convention in Nashville on June 30. Her album of "positive" pop-country should be out by the end of the year. She plans to build a house for herself, in the goat pasture behind her parents' property.

And she'd like to settle down and start a family soon, she said, expressing what may or may not be joking concern over being "old."

"I have had just some quagmire experiences in the dating department after 'American Idol,' " she said, groaning. "Therefore, Heather is extremely picky."

RUNNING AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS

Nola.com says thay in many ways the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is as magnetically real now as it was 136 years ago, when the traveling show began.

Not that the venerable circus hasn't changed with the times. The newest incarnation, "Circus of Dreams," incorporates a spate of up-to-the-moment modifications.

Gone is the venerable three-ring format, with simultaneous, overlapping acts sharing the spotlight. It has been replaced with a continuous story thread in which an "ordinary" family descends from the audience to assume dream roles among the clowns, aerialists and elephants. Jennifer Fuentes, 21, a second-season "American Idol" finalist, is a sort of seductive fairy godmother who narrates the story in song, backed by a live band providing a pop/hip-hop score. And everything is projected on a giant circular replay screen. The new touches seem to edge the old circus closer to the Cirque du Soleil and Disney mindsets of the 21st century.

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Lewis, One of 2007's Hottest Bachelors

Well, he didn't make the cover like Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks did last year, but Blake Lewis needn't hide his sexy head in shame. People magazine has named Lewis one of 2007's Hottest Bachelors, in their issue of the same name that hits the stands tomorrow featuring Matthew McConaughey on the cover.

The magazine's Web site says that the "American Idol" runner-up admits that, deep down, he's the sensitive type: "I'm the dozen roses kind of guy. I've done some serenading. In an intimate setting singing to a girl is beautiful."

What does Lewis look for in a woman? Independence, spontaneity, a heart of soul; someone who can take care of herself and is not too needy, is attractive ("there's got to be some chemistry"), likes to have fun and "likes cheesy white guys, like myself."

The biggest turn off? Someone who whines and complains a lot, is negative, pessimistic ("I'm very optimistic, focused and driven").

You can watch a video of the People photo shoot of Blake Lewis here.

SINGING THE SAME TUNE

Included in a USA Today article titled "They sing to their dads' tunes" was Sesaon 6 semi-finalist Sundance Head and his day, singer Roy Head.

The offspring: A 2007 American Idol Top 24 finalist, Sundance, 28, impressed judges with a performance of Bobby Blue Bland's "Stormy Monday." A blues shouter by nature, he plans to record an album of R&B duets with fellow Idol contestant Sabrina Sloan.

The springboard: Roy, 66, had a No. 2 hit in 1965 with "Treat Her Right," a horn-drenched rave-up that practically defined the notion of blue-eyed soul. A dancer who could hang with the likes of James Brown and Jackie Wilson, the elder Head also had a string of minor country hits during the '70s and early '80s and still tears it up on the oldies circuit.

How dad was instrumental: "As soon as I realized I couldn't be the showman that he was, I decided to play guitar," Sundance says. "That way, I didn't have to move. I started out using the guitar as a shield, but I ended up being pretty good at it."

On Idol, "they were giving us a song a day to learn. I called Dad and said, 'I've gone over (this song) so many times that I don't even know what it is anymore.' He said, 'You're over-studying it. If you're on stage and you forget the lyric, just make up lyrics that sound like the ones you should be singing. If you act like nothing's wrong, nobody will even notice it.' That got me through the L.A. auditions."

AYLA BROWN MOVING 'FORWARD'

In a story about Season 5 semi-finalist Ayla Brown, Billboard.com says:

She may have missed making it into the top 12 on season four of "American Idol" by one spot, but former contestant Ayla Brown has still managed to stay in the public eye over the past year. Eighteen-year-old Brown has done a number of live performances in support of her debut album, "Forward," which was released last October via Double Deal Brand Records, and she is also a prominent member of Boston College's women's basketball team.

"It's really important to me to be able to sing as well as play basketball," says the Wrentham, Mass., native. She adds that although she wasn't one of the 12 finalists on "Idol," she's pleased with how everything turned out. "At first I was devastated because I didn't know where my life, musically, would lead me. I thought, 'I'm gonna go play basketball now; there's going to be no music in my life.' I really just thought that I wasn't ready for it. But after 'Idol,' I was offered [the chance] to make a CD, and I saw that as a door opening up. Thank goodness I took it, and now I'm able to do both."

"Forward" features songs penned by Diane Warren, Tommy Sims and David Eriksen, among others. Brown co-wrote two songs, "Thanks to You" and "Falling Into You." The album's initial singles, "Know You Better" and "I Quit," were released in September, and the current single, "Forward," is at mainstream AC radio now.

"I love this song," Brown says of the title track. "Mostly because of the bridge -- it comes in with this full chorus of people. It becomes almost this gospel sound." She adds that when performing for a middle school-aged crowd, she always includes the song "Love You Better" because "guys and girls love to get up and dance to that one."

Not only does she want to get tweens out on the dance floor, Brown hopes she serves as a role model to her audience as well. "A lot of younger artists are making bad decisions with their lifestyles," she says. "I really want to be one of those people who says, you can play sports, you can sing, you can be a good student, and no one is going to punish you for it."

This summer, Brown will make a number of public appearances, some of which will feature performances by fellow Massachusetts "Idol" contestant Nick Pedro. The two recently shared the stage at the Jimmy Fund's Scooper Bowl in Boston on June 6.

While there's no set timetable on a follow-up album, Brown says she wants to contribute more as a songwriter the next time around. "At first I didn't really know what the [songwriting] process was about," she admits. "I'd always been a basketball player growing up. But through the process, through 'American Idol,' I learned so much and what you can contribute."

And here are some excerpts from an interview with Brown done last month by The Sun Chronicle:

On who will have a more successful recording career, Blake Lewis or Jordin Sparks: Probably Blake, because he can do reggae and he can do the whole beat boxing thing. I could see him doing that whole contemporary vibe sort of thing and being extremely successful with it. [Jordin] would be successful too. However, we've seen singers like her in the past.

On which Season 6 contestants should have advanced further in the competition: I was disappointed that Stephanie Edwards didn't get put into the top 12, and Sabrina Sloan. I think those two were ones that America really got wrong in the earlier competitions, and I feel like if they had gotten in it would have been a different story.

On who will likely have the most successful career out of the Top 12: I think Chris Richardson will end up being pretty successful just because all the females seem to really, really like him. He's kind of like the next Justin Timberlake ... And I don't want to say Sanjaya [Malakar], but somehow I think Sanjaya's going to come out and be really successful. People can't get enough of him.

On how long the show can remain a ratings juggernaut: Everyone that I talk to, honestly, every single person watches it and none of them seem to be sick of it, and they've been watching it since season one. Based on trends that are happening with voting, people want different (types of contestants) in the competition and that's why they're voting for Sanjaya and Blake and Taylor Hicks. So I don't know if people are rebelling or just want someone obscure and unseen. But honestly I can't see "American Idol" fading out anytime soon.

On the likelihood of Season 6 contestants releasing albums: I'm curious to see how many release albums this year. It just seems as though season five had so many talented people that had the ability to release an album because they were just popular or talented enough. (Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee have all released relatively high-profile albums since last season).

Her thoughts on her album, "Forward": I'm just so thankful to have the opportunity, and that someone saw the potential in me to make an album, because not all the people in the world get the ability to have that happen to them, so it's really a good feeling.

On what would happen if any of the "American Idol" judges changed: I think if there were judge changes, people wouldn't watch it. And because it's such a popular television show, I don't think "Idol" would take that chance.

SEASON 4 ROCKERS PLAN CD RELEASES

MTV interviewed "American Idol" vets Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis on their CDs, due for release later this year.

So much for striking while the iron's hot. Instead of rushing out an album right after his ouster from the 2005 edition of "American Idol," Constantine Maroulis has spent the past two years indulging his love of musical theater, acting in a soap opera and putting together an empire under his snarkily named Sixth Place Productions banner.

"I'm an actor, I love to host and I'm a singer. I did Broadway, and I produced my own tours and started my own label," said Maroulis, who appeared on Broadway in "The Wedding Singer" musical and is currently playing a singer on the daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful." "Would I trade all that work for making one successful album right off the show? I don't have that answer. I think this record is better than the one I could have made right off the show. It's more grassroots — I picked the band, financed it and co-wrote a bunch of the songs."

The album, titled "Constantine," will drop August 7 on his label, with distribution from Sony/Red. Self-proclaimed "blue-collar guy" Maroulis is confident that his fans will find it and buy enough copies to keep him on the road. "I can sell a couple hundred thousand copies and do what I love to do: play clubs," he said. "I don't need to be a huge star."

Just in case, though, he did bring in some ringers, including Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, who co-wrote a song on the album, as well as Nashville songwriter Angie Aparo (Faith Hill's "Cry"). "It's got a distinctly rock sound, kind of an East Coast Bon Jovi/Rob Thomas vibe with great pop hooks," Maroulis said. The first single, "Everybody Loves," has been featured on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and is on iTunes now. The next single, "Girl Like You," will soon be tied to a story line on the show.

Season four's other rocker, No. 2 finisher Bo Bice, is also prepping an album for later this year: His yet-untitled sophomore release. His 2005 debut, "The Real Thing," featured assists from Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and former Evanescence member Ben Moody that were brokered by Bice's label. The longhaired Southern rocker says he called the shots this time around.

The album, which Bice is recording with noted country producer Frank Liddell (Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks), features the music hound's wish list of famed session masters. "I was throwing around ideas of the people I wanted to play on it," Bice said. "And I was like, 'Yeah, sure, these guys will play on my album. Right!' " But a few phone calls landed him Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell — who Bice met a decade ago when he delivered a package of Christmas CDs to Leavell's house — as well as Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, legendary session guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Keith Richards, Tom Waits) and bluegrass icon David Grisman.

"It's a star-studded cast, and I'm the only one on there who's not famous," the ever-humble Bice joked. "I picked and co-wrote the songs that if I was a guy who would be spending my hard-earned money buying an album I would want to hear." That means original back-to-basics Southern rock and country-tinged singer/songwriter tunes co-written with A.J. Croce (son of 1970s singer Jim Croce) and Chris Tompkins (Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats").

Bice said he wrote 31 songs for the album and is narrowing down the list to 10-12 that will make the final cut, including four songs that are currently vying to be the first single.

"I didn't have a lot to do with the first record," said Bice, who took time off in late 2006 to have another surgery to finally correct a nagging intestinal blockage that hospitalized him 15 times last year. "It was very RCA and Clive [Davis]-driven. It was an excellent album, but it was a revolving door of one guy in this week, another guy the next. This time I was here for every aspect [of it], and I'm a lot more comfortable."

Bice and Maroulis were the trailblazers for rock singers on "Idol." They paved the way for the show's latest breakout star, last season's No. 4 finisher Chris Daughtry, a fact Bice takes pride in.

"It made me proud that Chris said I was part of what inspired him to audition," said Bice. "There was never a bone in my body that thought I was going to win or make it that far. To see people progress and see more rock people on there makes me proud."

SIGHTING

"American Idol" third-place finisher Melinda Doolittle, outfitted in jeans, T-shirt and Prada bag, trying on sneakers at Niketown on E. 57th Street in Manhattan with a male sidekick, says the New York Daily News.

SHERMAN PORE VIDEO

Watch video of Season 6 "contestant" Sherman Pore singing "Eternally"


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Kelly Clarkson Drama Continues

Entertainment Weekly says that Kelly Clarkson has told her manager, The Firm's CEO Jeff Kwatinetz, never again.

Barely two weeks before the release of her newest album, "My December," which has been the subject of a very bitter and public battle between Clarkson and Sony/BMG head Clive Davis, the magazine reports that Clarkson has axed Kwatinetz, who reportedly was to receive executive producer credit on the CD.

Previous reports said Davis was unhappy with the CD -- which contains dark cuts about bad breakups and staying sober and which was written entirely by Clarkson and her band -- because he felt it wasn't commercial enough. It was rumored that Davis both held up the CD's release for four months and demanded changes, but that Clarkson stood her ground, refusing to change anything. Eventually, sources claim, Davis capitulated and reluctantly green-lighted the album's release for late June. In fact, during his appearance on the Idol Gives Back telecast in late April, Davis extensively extolled Carrie Underwood's achievements, yet didn't even mention Clarkson's name, even though both singers appeared on the show.

In the May
"Summer Music Preview" issue of EW, which featured Clarkson on the cover, the singer said she told Davis, '' 'Why are we talking through people, dude? Let's just meet.' He was like, 'I agree.' So I went to his bungalow where he stays here and we had a nice talk for a couple hours. I was like, 'You don't like the music; that's cool. You don't have to love it.' There's no hard feelings. And that's why I don't like [our differences] to get out in public. I don't want to be the Joan of Arc of the music industry."

In the same issue of EW, "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell said of the dispute between the singer and the record company, ''Kelly is not a puppet; she does not like to be told what to do. She could have gone the easy route, which is, you go with ['Since U Been Gone' producer] Max Martin — it's a guaranteed success. She made it absolutely clear that she wanted to steer the musical direction on this record. You just gotta say, 'You know what? This girl has given us millions and millions of sales.' You've got to give her that opportunity. If it works out, fantastic. If she then decides she wants to do a pop album, every good writer and producer wants to work with her. Because Kelly will be here for 30 years. She has one of the best pop voices in the world right now. What she sold in the U.K., Europe, Asia had nothing to do with 'American Idol.' It had everything to do with the fact that she made a great record and she's got an incredible voice. She's not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her.''

Just yesterday, we posted the Elle magazine story and interview with Kelly Clarkson in which Kwatinetz said of his client:

"The label didn't even acknowledge her ASCAP awards ... It's upsetting. They don't want her to be a songwriter. They just want her to shut up and sing. They want her to stay their little American Idol."

In fact, according to an article we posted last week by Fox News' Roger Friedman, Kwatinetz and Clarkson were so tight that Friedman said:

"But the real friction may not be between Clarkson and Davis, but between Clarkson's manager, Jeff Kwatinetz, of The Firm, and the label.

It was only this past weekend that RCA learned Kwatinetz is being listed by Clarkson as "executive producer" of the album. This indicates a new role for Kwatinetz, who is not the most popular member of the recording industry. Managers generally do not receive "EP" credits on albums. They are listed as managers."

Now, Entertainment Weekly is saying that Clarkson has fired Kwatinetz:

With just two weeks to go before the release of her much-anticipated (and recently leaked) third album, "My December," EW.com has learned that Kelly Clarkson fired her management team Monday night [June 11]. A SonyBMG source confirms the split between Clarkson and The Firm's Jeff Kwatinetz, and hinted that internal bickering between SonyBMG and Clarkson about the songwriting and direction of "My December" likely played a role with their parting.

"He exacerbated a thermonuclear situation," says one source close to the situation. "Jeff did everything he could to control Kelly and her career suffered. He should have steered her in the right direction."

The Firm issued a statement on June 12 saying, "Kelly Clarkson is an enormously talented artist. We are pleased to have served as her managers during her well-deserved rise to stardom and are proud of the role we played in backing her creative choices. We believed in Kelly from the day we met her and believe in her now. We have only the best wishes and hopes for her in the future."

A spokesperson at RCA, Clarkson's label, had no comment.

With the single
"Never Again" stalling on the charts [it's currently No. 11 on the Hot 100 chart after 6 weeks] and the album predicted to underperform, the timing of the firing says a lot about where Clarkson sees herself positioned in the pop world. She certainly hasn't been shy about sacrificing a bit of pop appeal for a more independent rock route ("I know it's not going to do what 'Breakaway' did, 'cause it's not as mainstream. I get that. Some of the songs are not what 10-year-olds are probably going to listen to," Clarkson told EW earlier this year), but another insider says there were bigger problems than just specific songs. "It's been a poor setup," claims the source. "Tour markets were misread and all the fighting with the label has taken attention away from the one thing that matters: her music."

In fact, another source suggests that the album, if it hasn't made its way to the pressing plant yet, may actually get shelved so that Clarkson and her label, headed by music legend Clive Davis, can reconsider some of the tracks. "It's not too late," says the source. "The label was supportive of Kelly in terms of putting the song out, but this album can't flop. She needs to get the right advice and counsel."

Stay tuned ...

And here's a recent interview between Ryan Seacrest and Clarkson on his KISS-FM radio show.

IS BLAKE LEWIS A DIVA?
In one of those stories we're reluctant to believe, MSNBC claims that Blake Lewis is a major celeb — at least in his own mind, citing a National Enquirer story that claims that Lewis was at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on June 7 when he was approached by four elderly ladies who politely asked him if he was the guy from the hit television series, according to the National Enquirer.

Lewis curtly insisted that he wasn't.

"My, my, young man, you look so much like him," one disappointed woman reportedly said.

Although no one else seemed to recognize Lewis, he whipped out his cell phone, called someone, and complained about being mobbed by fans, according to the tab.

"Hurry up and get down here fast!" an observer heard him grouse. "You wouldn't believe all the people bothering me here!"

Having seen how exceedingly polite Lewis has been in other situations, we find the whole story highly suspect, especially after reading this in The Journal News:

Jessi-Ann Bettcher is on her way home to Brewster from the hospital where she received lifesaving heart transplant surgery three weeks ago.

The 17-year-old soccer player, wearing jeans, sandals and a heart monitor on her chest that looks like a large i-pod, smiled all morning as she said goodbye to nurses and doctors.

"You don't know you are going home until all the wires are out of your body, and you are in the car," said Bettcher, with her mother at her side, shortly after noon, as she was being discharged from Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at New York-Presbyterian. "I'm going home today, so I'm excited."

The spirited teenager planned to surprise some of her friends at Brewster High School before beginning what is expected to be an eight-week period of healing and recovery at home.

She has every intention of taking up soccer again next season as a senior.

Bettcher's accommodating nature and uncommon grace during her 23 days in the hospital endeared her to many in her community and impressed none other than Blake Lewis -- the runner-up on the television show "American Idol," who visited Bettcher in her room.

After all the excitement of coming home, Bettcher said she was looking forward to having "five minutes to myself."

SPEND A DAY WITH AN IDOL FINALIST

Just because "American Idol" Season 6 has officially ended, the contests surrounding the series haven't. The PRNewswire announces a new Pringles off-air contest where you can win a day with your favorite Season 6 Top 10 Idol finalist through the "Pringles Win a Day with an AMERICAN IDOL Finalist" contest.

To enter, click here and submit an essay of no more than 100 words telling how they would spend a day with one of the top 10 finalists from 2007. Entries must be received by September 14. No purchase is necessary. You can find additional information, contest entry details and the official rules at the same Web site.

PHIL STACEY VIDEO

Phil Stacey performs in Wichita, Kansas, to help the people of Greensburg. This is his new song, "Old Glory," which he did for the first time for the people of Wichita and Greensburg:


And before his performance of the National Anthem at Riverbend, Stacey was interviewed by TV station WDEF, News 12. Here are some excerpts:

On resuming his career in the Navy: "They encouraged me to do my audition, they supported me through the whole thing, they're sending me on the tour. My first priority was to get back, and resume my post as a United States sailor."

On recording an album: "I think, I write and sign honest music, music that I feel in my heart, and, I think, if you pick a Phil Stacy CD up, it'll probably be in the country music section."

On his fans: "Everywhere we go now, people want to stop us, they want to talk to us, and it just means the world, it means there was a connection made between that person and ourselves. It's just been really cool, because, we feel like we have just a huge amount of new friends."

On the most important thing he takes with him from his Idol days: "We did an event called Idol Gives Back. We raised somewhere near 100 million dollars, just in fighting poverty. And, I think what we raised more than anything else was awareness. That poverty is an issue that's killing children all over the world, it's hurting families across the United States, and we have the power if we join together we can beat poverty."

SIMON AND RYAN GO AT IT

Responding to Ryan Seacrest's charge that he was the cause of the drop in ratings for "American Idol," Simon Cowell called in to Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show in Los Angeles, and the two had a bitchfest. You can listen to it here.

ALAINA ALEXANDER'S GAY PRIDE SINGLE

Queerty reports Season 6 semi-finalist Alaina Alexander may not have won the crooning contest, but she's won a gold star for her special gay pride single,
"Believe." The video, created by The Lavender Liberal, features men, women and trans folk who may not all be gay, but have all died at the hands of homophobia. It’s definitely something to think about. And not recommended for easily depressed people.

Watch video and listen to Alaina Alexander (who sounds A LOT better here than she did on Idol):


TAYLOR HICKS ON NBA FINALS

Taylor Hicks sings the National Anthem at the NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs Thursday June 14 on ABC at 8:30 p.m.


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